Sunday’s performance in Philadelphia wasn’t a work of art for the Giants, but it was more than good enough to end their long losing streak in the City of Brotherly Love.

Tight end Isaiah Likely’s touchdown catch in the third quarter gave the Giants their first lead since the first quarter and they expanded it to 19-11 before punting the ball back to the Eagles with 90 seconds left to play in the game. Joe Milton picked up first downs on completions to Hollywood Brown and Dallas Goedert, but rookie wideout Makai Lemon dropped a pass that would have moved them into Giants territory and running back Elijah Mitchell didn’t get out of bounds on a short catch on the next play.

Milton spiked the ball with six seconds left to play and the Eagles on their own 44-yard-line for one final heave. Milton famously uncorked a 70-yard throw at the Combine, but he never got a chance to throw the ball because he was sacked by defensive end Darius Alexander.

That was one of seven Giants sacks on the afternoon, including three from first-round pick Arvell Reese. It was Reese’s first road game against the Eagles and his 1-0 record in Philly is a big change from recent history. The Giants had lost 13 straight games in Philadelphia and the route to ending that skid featured some strange twists and turns.

Likely’s touchdown catch came on a throw from Jameis Winston, who replaced J.J. McCarthy after McCarthy hurt his hip in the third quarter. Winston played one full series and threw for 71 yards on his way to the touchdown, but McCarthy returned just before the end of the quarter and led the offense for the rest of the proceedings.

McCarthy was sacked five times, but was 12-of-19 for 127 yards when he had time to throw and he ran for 22 yards while evading pressure over the course of the afternoon. The Giants couldn’t find any other success on the ground and Sunday’s 243 yards of offense didn’t make a strong case for the Giants sitting out the trade deadline if they have a chance to acquire any kind of help for their backfield.

Wide receiver Malik Nabers had five catches for 43 yards, but dropped a pass in the end zone that would have iced the win and his body language was that of an unhappy player throughout the game. The win should make it easier to avoid it being a focal point for the team after the game, but Nabers will likely have to answer some questions about what was bugging him.

They’ll be back on the field Thursday night against the Commanders and another win would move them to 6-2-1 with a 3-0-1 record in the division. That would make them even heavier favorites to win an NFC East that is theirs for the taking.

The Eagles spent a lot of time in that position in recent years, but injuries have gutted the roster and Milton didn’t provide any significant upgrade on the offensive production that the team got with Tanner McKee at quarterback. The Eagles will have a bye week to determine which way they want to go in the future, but the 2-7 team should really only have eyes on 2027 at this point.